Longtime local paint company Ream Steckbeck closes

Was founded in 1923

A Fort Wayne paint company has closed after nearly 90 years in business.

Ream Steckbeck Paint and Decorating Centers closed – apparently for good – last week, according to a sign posted at its downtown store at 200 W. Superior St. The company also operated a store at 5915 Covington Road.

Owner John Steckbeck declined to comment.

According to its website, the company was founded in 1923 and sold a variety of decorating products, specializing in “premium quality merchandise and knowledgeable personnel.” Many locally owned stores in a variety of fields have found it difficult to compete with the lower prices often offered by “big-box” competitors, however.